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When opening a retail store, you may have to make a decision about the flooring being installed. If you are fortunate enough to get to plan the design of the interior of the building, you have quite a few great options to consider. Our blog is all about commercial flooring for retail spaces. You will learn about the different types of flooring available that will help to reduce the amount of noise that is carried through the building, how to find easy to care for flooring and what you can do to make your decision a little easier on your mind and your budget.

If your basement's concrete wall has tile covering the surface, you may have discovered that one or more

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How To Save A Little Cash On Your Carpet Installation

29 July 2015
by Vanessa Douglas

Having new carpet installed in your home is obviously a major investment. When buying carpet, you usually pay by the yard. One top of this, you need to pay the labor costs. Luckily, it is one easy way to significantly reduce your labor cost. This article will explain how to make your carpet installation cheaper by removing your old carpet and the tack strips on your own.

Removing the Carpet

The first step in removing your old carpet is finding an edge or seam where you can start to pull it up. Be sure to wear thick work gloves when ripping up the carpet because the carpet base can be sharp. You might also need a small crowbar or prybar to get leverage when trying to pry the carpet up from the floor. If you cannot find a seam, you can simply cut directly into the carpet with a utility knife. Then, you can lift up from the hole you just created. The utility knife will also be helpful for cutting the carpet into smaller pieces that are easier to carry out of your house.

Removing the Carpet Pad

Once the carpet is removed, you can also easily remove the carpet pad. On a wooden floor, the carpet pad will probably be stapled into the subfloor. You'll have to remove the staples with the claw end of a hammer or a pair of pliers.

Removing the Tack Strips

The tack trips around the edge of the carpet might be the most difficult to remove. On a wooden subfloor, the best way to remove the strips is to hammer a flathead screwdriver underneath the strip and pry upward. Try to place the screwdriver near a nail so the nail pops out of the subfloor as you pry it. On a concrete subfloor, the best way to remove the strip is to just hit the edge of the tack strip sideways, right where the nail is. If you hit it hard enough, the nail will pop right out of the subfloor. This might chunk up the concrete a little bit, but it will not cause any serious damage.

Now, all you have to do is sweep your floor and your room will be ready for the carpet installers. Use the fact that your floor is completely ready for the installation as a bargaining chip. You should be able to secure a much more desirable rate for your carpet installation.